The Little Prince
by PurpleBlueberry
Summary: Life could be so difficult at times, so the never-ending why was always hanging from his lips. With the precious bag tightly in his hand, little brother following hastily, Donquixote Doflamingo walked inside with eyes full of hope.


**Okaaaay~ For starters, hi! This here is a little something I came up with about Doflamingo's past. I hate it when people, even as a kid, portray him as a cruel asshole to the very end. I think his family can soften him. I got super hyped when I read about his past and then it was when I realized something. You know what? Those little Tenryuubito pricks? HE USED TO BE ONE OF 'EM! I'm kinda depressed that One Piece is on hiatus but well! Looking forward to more Cora-san!**

**One Piece belongs to the one and only Eiichiro Oda.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Wake up, darling. It's time for breakfast."<em>

Donquixote Doflamingo snapped awake. Cold sweat had drenched his filthy body, sinking into the gashes and making it sting. His breath was quick and silent, unlike his thunderous heartbeat. With his thin hand, he felt his little heart pounding furiously inside his skeletal chest. He pressed his fingertips harder on his body and felt his bones, realized what truly was inside him. That same hand climbed up to his head to punish the blond roots that had turned brown from the dust. If he had a mirror he'd laugh at himself. He was a prince and yet he looked like a pauper.

From the little wooden window entered moonlight, flooding the pitiful room. The silver rays bathed the blond boy who squinted his big blue eyes to the night. His throat was completely dry, harsh like the desert waiting for him outside. He'd be glad if that torture was only for him, but no. There was a smaller figure, a little boy with his thumb inside his mouth that was sleeping quietly next to him. He looked a lot like his brother, only he was on the verge of crying while his brother was determined. Poor Cora, only eight years old and yet he had to see all this. But it was not his fault. The only one to blame was him.

Rising slowly from the disgusting floor, Doflamingo moved to the sheepskin bag he was carrying. His long fingers caressed the shape forming faintly in it. It was the head of a man, a man with blond hair and blue, horrified eyes that were staring into nothing. He smelled bad, like the dirty rat he was. Oh, he smelled so bad. Doflamingo smiled softly and covered the face again, not wanting the summer flies to devour it completely.

It was funny how they had fallen from the top. The room the two brothers were currently staying at was nothing but a stable, even less than that. Insects of all kinds, dust that carried diseases and history and dampness that hurt his bones. The two princes were on a lower level than those loathsome rats that stole the few crumbs they managed to steal. So funny, yes! Hilarious! It was absolutely hysterical! Doflamingo wanted to laugh but that would wake Cora up, and he needed sleep more than any person in the world.

The young prince had absolutely nothing to do right now other than dream. It was only a matter of a few days and they would be back into their cozy beds, back to their luxurious homeland. No more poverty and dirt, no more dirty peasants that failed to understand the greatness of a Celestial Dragons with those penniless minds of their. In but a few days they would be back home, the home they had lost two years ago. The traitor's head would serve as a ticket that would grant them a pageantry welcoming.

As he sat there on the window, he closed his eyes. The soft breeze caressed his dirty face like a woman's hands. His mother's warm hands. They used to be soft and flawless, but they turned hard and weak, like a common woman's. She was a Lady though, even though her hands were as dry as the desert. Her smile shone bright still, lying to him about how everything would be alright. No, it wouldn't. She was dead now, over-powered by her noble heart. What did she know about living like a worm? What did all of them know? They were World Nobles, for fuck's sake, not disgusting little peons that bathed once a year!

For the first time in two years, a cold liquid ran from his cerulean eyes. With a quick hand, Doflamingo wiped the shy crystal away, careful to be seen acting like a common person. He fixed his gaze to the moon and noticed how different the sky looked. He had to admit, the view here was better than the one from Mariejois. That was one thing those dirty wastes of oxygen and space could enjoy.

Morning arrived even before the sun kissed the Earth. There was a desert ahead of them that was already an impossible challenge, they didn't dare imagine how it would be under the blazing sun. Doflamingo woke his brother up hastily. The poor thing's eyes gleamed with hope believing that it had all been a bad dream and that he would wake up in his castle. But the only thing he saw was the darkness around him and struggled hard not to sob. Doflamingo said they needed to keep their fluids so not to get dehydrated. Doflamingo took the little sack with him, not caring how hot and heavy it was, not caring about its emetic scent. What did he expect, that was the rotting head of an idiot after all.

"Come on, Cora," murmured the boy as the two made their way silently out of the petty storage. The filthy room had been part of a barn on the outskirts of the town their father had chosen to accommodate their new life. Everybody in the village was looking for them, looking to kill them.

The younger boy nodded several times and followed his brother out in the cold light of morning. There were a few blue rays bathing the world, as well as the chill morning dew that glued on their dirty bodies. Nevertheless, the two brother kept stealthily walking on the fresh grass, slithering like a pair of snakes. Doflamingo considered taking a few eggs or a chicken with them but that would cost precious time. But come to think of it, he needed something to keep his father's head from rotting entirely.

As they made their way towards the little house by the stable, a red-haired teenager appeared before them. He froze once he saw the two brothers in front of him. His jaw got disconnected from his mouth as he released a loud cry. Without giving it much thought, Doflamingo grabbed his terrified brother and started running as though chased by a hundred beasts. He did not know, see or cared where he was going, he had no idea how he kept going. He only knew he was motivated by the mob behind him, the graphic cockroaches with pitchforks and torches. They howled and screamed at them, racing like wild fiends, like the animals they were. Suddenly, there was a cry in the air. Doflamingo stopped to see his little brother getting dragged away into the hands of the insects. He gritted his teeth and ran towards them. How dare those lowly humans lay a finger on a Celestial Dragon!

With his bony legs moving on their own, Doflamingo jumped to get hold of Cora, knowing that he had absolutely nothing to defend himself with. The boy started punching and kicking and spinning blindly, unsure whether his little limbs were doing any damage at all. Two strong arms were wrapped around his waist ever so firmly. Doflamingo sunk his unwashed teeth into the brown flesh, making the man scream. Moving as quickly as a deer, he grabbed a rock and smashed the toes of the woman who was holding his brother. With one hand around Cora's arm, the other pushing through the ingrates, he managed to make it through the forest of peasants and started running.

He glanced back only for a second, only to see that the crowd was too far away to be considered real. He kept running and running, relieved that he was seeing a golden sea stretching before him. Doflamingo finally halted once his tortured, bleeding feet sunk into the breathing sand. The air was hot, coming blazing inside his bulging lungs. Cora collapsed beside him, laughing happily as though the dry specks were a fluffy mattress. Doflamingo sat down on a rock and took a few breaths, feeling the damn air blind his mind.

"Rest for a little," he said. "We have to be out of here by night."

"What then, brother?" asked Cora.

Doflamingo brought a crumbled piece of paper from his pocket. He took of his sunglasses and studied it carefully. "There is a forest past this place, we could spend the night there. After that is a port-town. We can find a ship that can take us back home from there."

"I miss home," sighed Cora. "I want to go back soon."

"You will, we will."

The two boys rested for at least five minutes. Once they started walking again, Doflamingo started feeling a slight uneasiness being carried along by the innocent-looking breeze. In his mind, he had estimated around five hours of trekking, provided that nothing stopped them. Both he and his brother were exhausted, wounded and determined. The irritating sand carried with the dry wind found its way into their wounds, mixing with the noble blood freely. Doflamingo felt vulnerable without his glasses, the traitorous grains got into his eyes as well. All that mattered was to keep going steadily, out to where he could finally see some dark silhouettes looming at the end of the desert.

Cora fainted. Doflamingo didn't realize it until he turned around to admire the distance they had walked. He quickly ran over to where his brother's little figure had dropped. The small boy was shivering and murmuring something.

"I'm sorry, brother," he sobbed, "I can't. You go one without me."

Doflamingo gritted his teeth. His hateful blue gaze stabbed the bag he was caring. All of this had happened because of _him_. He would never sit back and watch his little brother, the only family he had left in the world. Without him he'd be all alone. Cora had to survive. They had to take back what was theirs back together. It all seemed so close, was so close. And he was just a child. So, packing every speck of courage he had left, Doflamingo grabbed his brother by the armpits and pulled him upwards, supporting his minimum weight with what little strength he had. His pained feet were drowning into the golden sand, failing to fully lift both their skeletal bodies. Doflamingo hissed as his lacking-skin feet met with the never-ending ground. He felt his mind go blind from the pain. But despite that, he was still able to concentrate on the forest ahead of him.

The sandstorm had stopped. It had started so suddenly, as though the entity controlling had hit its toe somewhere. And it was punishing, making them pay for whatever sin it was they had committed. But Doflamingo knew, it was not revenge. It was a preparation for what was ahead. Once they were done with this ordeal, the gates of Heaven would break down for them. Then everything would be back to normal.

For the time being, Doflamingo continued his pathetic march towards the pleasant oasis ahead of them. The golden eye above his head was driving him mad. The rays of light were drilling inside his skull, deep beyond his brain. Huffing and puffing, he managed to drag his brother's barely alive body with him, not neglecting the head of his father. And at last, when his tortured feet softly grazed the wild grass, his entire existence let out a sigh of relief. He collapsed on place, losing contact with the world at once.

* * *

><p>It had to be around six. Or maybe seven? He didn't know, he had no idea. He didn't care, to be exact. He had lost the track of time long ago. All he knew was that he was sleeping. And he would've continued doing so, if it wasn't for the laughing and talking. Doflamingo, still in a daze, failed to immediately realize that the voice was not only his brother's. Upon cracking his eyes open, he faced the dark ceiling of some earthly creation, a cave most likely. The smell of something burning triggered his senses. It was a pleasant smell. But what was it? It wasn't human flesh. No matter how hard he tried, he failed to recognize this delightful yet distantly familiar scent.<p>

He was home. He lazily woke up, floating sheepishly on his feathery mattress. The day was so nice, the warm sunlight illuminated his smiling face once the maid drew the curtains. The little prince started giggling. Soon, another laughter came to join his, two loving arms picked him up. A soft voice called his name, spoke sweetly to him at the beginning of this wonderful day. It was so warm in her embrace, a little paradise.

Doflamingo shot up with a gasp. His heart was threatening to rip his chest apart and grow legs of its own, then immigrate to another dimension. Litres of salty sweat were running down his white shirt, washing his dirty body with even more dirt. He was greedily taking in air, panting as his blind eyes soon recovered their abilities. Before him was a campfire and on it some large fish. Two people were staring at him, Cora and some other guy. Cora was sitting on a rock, eating some juicy fruit while the other guy was poking the fire with a stick. Doflamingo's instincts soon took over his body. He jumped and grab a rock, then dashed between the stranger and his brother.

"Who the hell are you?!" he shouted, swinging his crude tool at the boy.

"Hey, relax! I'm not do-"

"Cora, stand behind me! He's dangerous! Are you here for our heads? You lowly peasant!"

"Brother, he's fine."

Doflamingo mouthed the last word with his cracked lips. Come to think of it, he didn't look so bad. If he put the pieces together, it would seem that this guy had dragged him in here, and he also had to be the one who had brought all this food. He was drenched to the bone, creation of the heavy rain outside. Doflamingo fixed his gaze on the questionable individual before him, the boy who was slowly smiling. He looked to be around his age, only he had none of Doflamingo's noble characteristics. Then again, Doflamingo had also lost his nobility. This boy had very short brown hair and dark eyes, grazing the endless border of black. He was skinny, skinnier then the two brothers and as tall as Doflamingo. His weapon of choice appeared to be a dry bamboo with a sharpened end.

"State your name."

"Don't you think it's a lit-"

"State your name, peasant!"

The boy lost his faint smile. Doflamingo was glad to see that. This was absolutely disgraceful! Despite all the hardships, he still had his pride left. And now he owed his life to some lowly idiot. A dirty, lanky boy who reeked of mud. Doflamingo knew that his image wasn't better but he would never admit being below something as filthy as a commoner.

"Vergo," said the boy, smiling again. "The name's Vergo. Yours?"

"I have no obligation to tell you, pea-"

"Doffy!" shouted Cora and looked up at his brother with a smile. Doflamingo glared down at the younger boy and gritted his teeth. Oh, that big mouth of his. There were times when Doflamingo wished his brother was mute or something. "We are the Donquixote brothers!"

Vergo shook his head. He didn't seem to fully understand the meaning of the family name, otherwise he'd already be on his knees. After thinking about it for a while, he smiled again. "It's good to see you're doing well, Doffy!"

"D-Don't call me Doffy, you ingrate!" shouted the little prince while a flush climbed on his face. He looked down at his spaghetti legs and arms and was surprised to find bandages wrapped around them. He also noticed a thick trail on the muddy entrance, the size of his thin body. He then looked over at Vergo, who had fresh scratches and splotches of dirt on his ragged clothes. "Are you the one who brought me here?"

Doflamingo waited for an answer from the boy, which was translated into a nod. Without uttering a single word, he picked his stubborn pride and sat down by the fire. The warmth instantly engulfed his entire body, Doflamingo realized how cold he was. He rubbed his hands together before the passionate flames, feeling alive again. This was a nice fire, not like the petty excuse his father used to light. How miserable! They didn't even have logs to burn, so they had to burn their clothes. He remembered how his mother had cried when she had to sacrifice the little woolen jackets their sons wore when they were little. This was all over now, pitiful remains of a not so distant past.

The delicious smell from before dripped his long nose. Doflamingo noticed three large fish getting cooked on sticks by the loud fire. He subconsciously licked his lips as Cora and Vergo too sat down. Doflamingo wrinkled his nose at the sight of his brother sitting by a commoner but swallowed his silence. He had seen insects before, but this one was remarkable. There was something flying inside those bead-like eyes. What? What was it? It was the first time Doflamingo had ever seen something like this. It was strong and warmer than the fire. It even burnt brighter than it. For how long he stayed there and stared, he did not know. But Vergo noticed and smiled at him.

There! That damn smile! What did it mean? This boy had nothing. Nothing! He had no legacy behind him or a home. He was alone, yet he smiled as though he could change the world. Doflamingo would call him and idiot but couldn't do it for some odd reason. Maybe it was the gleaming face that prevented him from doing so. He had heard the word 'honesty' somewhere but the definition was quite vague. Could it be that the perfect example of those seven letters was parading right before his eyes?

"Here."

Doflamingo discovered that the thing he was devouring was salmon. Oh, the forgotten taste! It was so good! Delicious! He soon found himself behaving like a common kid, licking his fingers greedily in search of more of it. Vergo chuckled. Doflamingo sure had a huge appetite. Or he was just starving. Cora had mentioned how poor they were. As the youngest of them did not mention anything else, Vergo deemed it appropriate not to ask. Those weren't the first kids on the streets with a story. There were tons of them, he was one too. And they perfectly understood what privacy meant. Seeing Doflamingo enjoy eating like that, Vergo decided to not ask unless he was given permission to.

"Fuffuffu! That sure was tasty!"

"Glad you liked it."

With a grin stretching from ear to ear, Doflamingo pat his still non-existent belly with contempt, fully satisfied with the meal. There was dessert as well, fresh fruit to help the food go down. After that, Doflamingo fell back, his eyes already failing him. He couldn't help but smile for some reason. With a delighted sigh, he let himself go to sleep, feel relaxed in quite some time.

Once his blue eyes were closed, the young prince could pretend everything was as it used to be.


End file.
